


Beneath the Surface

by traccigaryn



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s01e01 Caretaker, F/M, Podfic, Podfic & Podficced Works, Podfic Length: 10-20 Minutes, Seriously Chakotay has barely any dialogue in that section so I gave him some, for like a third of an episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 22:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20415652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/traccigaryn/pseuds/traccigaryn
Summary: Rather than transport them back to Voyager, the Caretaker sends Janeway and Chakotay to the surface of the Ocampan homeworld. For two people who’ve just met, working together feels surprisingly natural.podfic version included





	Beneath the Surface

[Tracci Garyn](https://soundcloud.com/user-835906820) · [Beneath The Surface](https://soundcloud.com/user-835906820/beneath-the-surface)

* * *

_“Not enough time!”_ The old man’s voice rang in Kathryn’s ears as she felt herself being transported away.

The next sensation she recognized was oppressive heat. She looked around. The Maquis captain was by her side, and they were standing on the vast, empty surface of a planet. There was no vegetation, no shade. She spun around. No Tom Paris either, though he had been with them just a moment ago.

“Tom?” she called, hoping he was somehow just out of sight. No response. 

“Where do you think we are?” she asked her companion. He pointed to something behind her. She turned in time to see a flash of light travelling from the sky to the surface. “I guess we know where the energy pulses from the Array are going now.”

He nodded absently as he took stock of their supplies. She did the same. Their comm badges were gone and so was her tricorder. In its place was a closed metal cylinder. She opened it tentatively. “Water,” she told him. 

“He left our phasers too.” He looked slightly puzzled. “He doesn’t want us to die, but he doesn’t want us getting out of here in a hurry either.”

“Why just us? Where are the others? Do you think they made it back to the ship?”

She was surprised to hear him laugh. “I don’t know, Captain. I hope so.” He thought for a moment. “You did identify us as the commanding officers. Maybe he thought delaying us would give him the time he needed, whatever that was about.”

“Absent other facts, we have to assume you’re right, Co --” her voice trailed off. _What should I call him?_ She’d used his former Starfleet rank before, but had he been offended by that? He was now a captain in his own right, whether or not Starfleet recognized it. “Mr. Chakotay,” she finished somewhat belatedly. 

He gave that gentle laugh again. “Under the circumstances, just Chakotay is fine, Captain.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to respond _“And I’m Kathryn,”_ but she stopped herself. The formality of her rank suddenly seemed very necessary to protect herself. From what, she wasn’t quite sure. He was neither angry nor offended. If anything, he seemed curiously relaxed. _He is not at all what I expected._

From his alert gaze, she could tell he knew exactly what was going through her mind. _He is far too perceptive,_ she thought. She had never met anyone who seemed to understand what she was thinking so quickly before, not even Mark. Not even Justin.

Consciously choosing to ignore this for now, she gave him a smile in compromise instead. “We need to find a way back to Voyager. We have to assume Tuvok will continue our investigation and come here eventually. Maybe this is what happened to Kim and Torres too. We might find them.”

“We should head toward the pulse,” they both said at the same time and then grinned at each other.

Rather than setting off for the pulse site, though, he started to undo his vest.

"Chakotay! What are you doing?"

"Captain, that sun is scorching. We have no shade and barely any water. If we're going to be out in it, our options are very quickly going to come down to sunburn or heatstroke. I know which one I'd rather choose." 

He finished removing his vest then dragged off his shirt too. His movements were mechanical and efficient, but she couldn't help herself from staring at the expanse of bronze chest they revealed. Unlike Mark, who had been known to joke he was the missing link between primate and man, Chakotay's upper body was almost entirely hairless. His nipples were dark and pebbled and a light sheen of sweat had already appeared.

"Captain?" she heard him ask. Was that a hint of laughter in his voice? Was she still staring? She was.

She shook her head to clear it and quickly divested herself of her jacket and turtleneck. Even under these conditions, she wasn’t willing to remove the final barrier. 

His eyes raked over her, and once again she knew he understood. He held out his shirt. "You should wear this instead of your tank top. The natural fibers will breathe and keep you cooler than that replicated stuff."

He was absolutely right, and yet she still hesitated. She had been sent to capture this man, and now he was offering to protect her. 

He quirked a challenging eyebrow at her and tossed the shirt. He turned his back without waiting to see if she caught it.

The scent of sandalwood surrounded her as she slipped his shirt over her head. She'd first smelled it when she'd stepped up to him on the Bridge -- had it even been an hour ago?

"Thanks," she acknowledged and glanced down at herself. The shirt might smell cozy, and it was deliciously soft, but it was also enormous on her petite frame. She quickly rolled the sleeves up to her wrists and tied a knot near her hip to keep it from billowing out too much.

She looked up to see Chakotay's dark eyes watching her. When he caught her gaze, he gave her a lazy grin. "I'll have to remember that look when I get it back."

She crooked a smile at him in return. She poked a foot at the clothes she'd left on the ground. "What should we do with these?" 

"Take them with us. We don't know how cold it gets here at night," he said and efficiently tied everything into a bundle which he hung from his belt.

"I'm glad one of us remembers our survival training. I hate camping."

There was that laugh again. "Survival training. Life in the Maquis. My entire childhood. I've got a few things to draw from. Ready?"

“Ready.”

They set off at a steady but not hurried pace. Despite her urgent desire to get back to Voyager, it would be foolish to exhaust themselves in the process. Chakotay was right. The unrelenting heat of the sun could do them real damage. She cast a worried glance over at his bare back, but had to admit, of the two of them, he was far more used to this type of heat than she was. She would just have to make sure he drank his share of the water. Something told her he’d try to sacrifice his portion for her if he could.

She studied the horizon, watching the periodic pulses streak through the sky on their way to their unknown destination.

“How long do you think it'll take us to get there?” she asked after awhile, in part because she was curious and in part to make conversation.

“Hard to say. It’s difficult to correctly judge distances on such a flat horizon,” he responded. “Does it seem like we’ve gotten any closer to you?”

“Maybe? A little bit. But that might just be wishful thinking too.”

“I thought so too. My gut response tells me we might make it there sometime tomorrow morning, but I can’t be sure. We’re going to need to rest at some point.”

She started to protest, to say it would be easier to walk at night, and they needed to keep going, but he cut her off quietly.

“Trust me, we’re going to get very tired. We’re no help to anyone if we exhaust ourselves getting there.”

Hearing her own thoughts echo back at her in such a reasonable tone both amused and irked her. In retaliation, she took a small sip of water then held out the cylinder to him. When he started to decline, she leveled her gaze at him and just waited.

“Yes, ma’am,” he told her with a delighted grin. “Do you have a license for that personal weapon?”

She rolled her eyes to keep her smile at bay and started walking again. He resumed his place right beside her. 

“So, how long have you been in command?”

For a second, she wondered if he was somehow trying to ferret out Starfleet secrets, but dismissed the thought again almost immediately. From the start, he had given her no reason to distrust him. 

“A couple weeks, actually,” she told him. “Voyager is my first command.”

He gave her an impressed look. “I would have never known. You’re a natural.”

She was surprised to discover how much that simple compliment meant to her. After a comfortable pause, she said, “I can't say this is what I had in mind when I went to Command School. My first mission of my first command, and I'm told to play galactic bounty hunter."

"What did you have in mind?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"Leading a science vessel, I think. Continuing to expand our knowledge of the universe."

He nodded in approval. "I wanted to explore too, first contact missions. I've always been fascinated by other cultures, what we can learn about them, and what they can teach us about ourselves." He was silent for a moment then said, "I don't blame you, you know. For having to come after us."

“You grew up on Dorvan V, didn’t you?” she asked carefully, though she already knew the answer.

He didn’t speak for a long time. Then: “Yeah.”

“What happened there was horrific. I’m sorry. You have every right to be angry.”

“I have been angry for so long, I didn’t really even remember what it felt like to not have that burning in my heart at all times. Until ...” his voice trailed off.

“Until?” she finally prompted.

“Until today, actually. Despite everything, today has been …” She could sense him wrestle with many options before settling on “a respite.” 

What must his life be like, if _this_ was a respite? And yet, she could almost grasp what he meant too. She brushed his hand with hers and gave a little squeeze. He returned the pressure and their hands separated. 

The day passed smoothly enough, as they alternately shared small stories and walked in easy silence. She had just finished telling him about some mess Mollie had gotten herself in as a puppy when he drew to a halt.

“I think we should stop for the night. It will be twilight soon, and we need to be prepared.”

He was right. She was bone-tired and very hungry. But they’d made good progress. He dropped their bundle of clothes beside her, then started to pile up the bits of driftwood and roots he’d been collecting throughout the day into a small heap. He added a few flat rocks to one side and easily ignited everything with his phaser.

“You know, it would have been much more impressive if you’d done that by hand,” she teased.

“I’m not saying I can’t, I’m just saying I’m fucking exhausted,” he responded.

She threw back her head and laughed, and she heard him give a quiet chuckle. 

“I’ll be back soon,” he told her. 

She watched as he wandered about a hundred meters away then settled himself on the ground, not moving. About 10 minutes later, she saw the quick flash of his phaser. Several more minutes passed, then he returned with what appeared to be the skinned body of some desert creature. He laid it on the heated rocks, and the air was soon filled with the smell of cooking meat. She really didn’t want to think about where the animal had come from, but it smelled amazing. He efficiently divided their bounty into two portions and gestured for her to partake. 

She was so intent on the unexpected meal, it took her a few minutes to realize he wasn’t eating. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him across the firelight.

He gave a puff of frustrated laughter. “I’m a vegetarian.” Then his stomach rumbled. 

_Layers of principles,_ she thought. Out loud she said, “It’s not easy to choose between two difficult options, but under the circumstances, I think keeping up your strength is a … forgivable choice.” 

He stared at her intently for a moment, then slowly reached out to take his half of the meal. 

After they’d eaten, he buried the remains a distance away from their camp, and they both cleaned their hands as best they could in the dirt. 

The temperature had dropped precipitously once the sun fell below the horizon, and she shivered. He opened their pack and returned her clothes. He slipped back into his vest. She started to remove his shirt, but he gestured for her to stop. 

“You should keep that. Layer yourself up with the others.”

“Aren’t you cold too?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m … a little bigger than you, so more body heat.”

_‘A little bigger,’_ she thought, appreciating his understatement. _Like I hadn’t noticed that._

They settled down on opposite sides of the fire, arms under their heads for pillows, and said their goodnights. 

Try as she might, she couldn’t get warm. She wrapped her hands in her shirts and pulled the jacket over her like a blanket. Still cold. She gave a little sigh.

Chakotay rose in the dark and came around to her side. “Scoot a little closer to the fire,” he told her as he lay down behind her, his back to hers. She instantly felt more comfortable. 

“Thanks,” she told him quietly and fell asleep.

\--

She awoke to comforting warmth. Her arms were tucked up beside her breasts, and her front was snug against his broad chest. He had one arm under their heads for a pillow and the other across her back, holding her to him. _Oh._ And his erection pressed into her belly, a solid and unmistakable weight. She breathed out quietly, trying to figure out how best to extricate herself without waking him. Before she could move, he stirred and looked around alertly.

"Everything's fine, Chakotay," she assured him. "I just woke up." _Damn, nothing gets passed him,_ she thought. 

She felt him relax then tense again ever so slightly, as he too realized how his body was reacting to their proximity. _Speaking of …_

She opened her mouth to reassure him she knew it was just a natural response, but he merely scooted back slightly and said, completely matter of factly, "Sorry about that. Good morning."

No embarrassment, no denial. It was delightfully refreshing, and it was impossible to stay embarrassed herself in response.

"Morning. Did you sleep okay?"

He got up and started breaking down their camp, such as it was. "Not bad, under the circumstances. Did you stay warm enough?"

"Yes, thanks to you." She grinned at him. "You're like a personal heater."

She watched as he tugged his ear and blushed faintly. "I've, uh, been told that, yeah."

Now he was embarrassed. It was endearing. _Endearing?_ she repeated to herself in consternation.

"I don't suppose you can magically make some coffee appear," she said to distract both of them. 

"Sorry. Some things are beyond even my capabilities," he responded lightly, clearly also making a concerted effort to remain on solid ground.

“I’m leaving this resort a poor review,” she said because she knew it would make him laugh.

He re-bundled their clothes, then she watched as he traced a series of symbols into the dirt.

“It’s a blessing to the land, for having disturbed it,” he told her. She was really starting to like this man.

They made good time that morning, heading steadily toward the pulse site. As they got closer, a series of small caves became visible in the distance. 

“I think the energy pulses are actually going below ground,” she said. 

“We’ll have to see if we can find our way down too,” he agreed.

In the third cave they checked, she found an energy barrier blocking a tunnel. Some seismic activity must have disturbed the ground at some point because, off to one side, there was a jumble of rocks on the ground and a gap in the barrier.

“I think it’s big enough to get through,” she estimated. “You’re going to want to protect your back from scrapes, though.” 

They quickly redistributed clothing, each back in their original outfits. 

“This definitely seems to lead downward,” he said, exploring the tunnel after they snuck through the barrier. They traveled for several minutes, then suddenly the tunnel seemed to shake.

She gripped his arm. “Was that weapon’s fire?”

“It sure felt like it.” 

From further below them, she could swear she heard a cry of alarm.

“Hello? Is anybody down there?” she called.

“Captain?” a faint voice came back.

“Mr. Kim? Is that you, Harry?”

“Yes, Captain. We’re here.”

“B’Elanna?” Chakotay called.

“Hey, Chakotay,” a voice roughly responded. “Took you long enough.” 

He laughed in relief.

“Captain? Harry?” the voice of Tom Paris drifted up from even further away. 

Despite the increasingly shaky ground, the groups managed to converge. With Paris were two bright aliens and Chakotay’s crewmember, Ayala. Kim and Torres were not in good shape. Ayala had already stepped forward to support his crewmate.

“Take them and get to the surface as quickly as you can,” she told him. 

The young alien woman stepped forward too. “I know the way.”

She felt Chakotay grip her elbow. "Go with them. You need to get back to Voyager --"

"Find out what's happening," she finished. "You'll be okay with Paris?"

He nodded. "We'll be right behind you. See you soon."

\--

"Come."

Her Ready Room door swished open and Chakotay stepped inside. She rose from behind her desk and gestured for him to join her on the couch.

"How's the leg, Chakotay?"

"Good as new, Captain." 

"Glad to hear it." He shifted slightly and she caught a momentary whiff of sandalwood, smoke, and her own rose-scented cleanser. It loosened something inside of her, and she gave him a crooked grin. "I leave you for a couple minutes, and you almost get yourself killed. Twice."

His dimpled smile flashed. "It won't happen again."

"Good. Good." She drew in a breath, then continued with her real reason for asking him to meet with her. "I have a proposal for you, Chakotay. I think we should integrate the crews, and I'd like for you to be my First Officer."

"Agreed."

Kathryn continued to rush through her speech, trying to convince him. "Let me explain. I know you had good reasons for leaving Starfleet, and I respect that, but we're alone out here. We already know we work well together and, well, it is my ship so … wait." His response finally sunk in. "You agree?"

He quirked that amused smile at her. "Yes, Captain. For all the reasons you just said. Tactically, it's the best option for both of our crews."

And with that, she simultaneously secured him to her side and made him as unreachable as possible. _Just one more thing about this command I never expected but am going to have to deal with anyway,_ she thought with regret. 

"I'm glad we agree," she said aloud.

They hammered out some details, and it felt like they'd never been on opposite sides of anything.

"I'd like to leave this system pretty quickly," she told him. "How much time do you need?"

“It shouldn't take too long. Most of my crew aren't going to be as sanguine about this decision, but I think they'll still see its wisdom."

She nodded. “Of course. Take the time you need. And Chakotay … it will be okay. One thing I learned from Tuvok’s reports was how loyal they are. Not just to the Maquis, but to you.”

He gave her a nod in quiet thanks. "In time, I know that will extend to you too."

She stood up and held out her hand. "Welcome aboard, Commander." 

He took her hand to shake it, then placed his other on top. Once again, his warmth seeped into her bones. "Thank you, Captain. It's good to be aboard."


End file.
